Monthly Archives: September 2011

Burberry’s openness and straight forward streaming of their newest S/S 2011 collection, took their collection directly through to their half a million Twitter followers, before the catwalk show had even begun! Oh – and available for sale directly after the show! Burberry is hereby breaking waves on the retail/fashion designer dynamic, which usually entails waiting for the season to actually commence before being able to purchase the clothes.

For any other brand in the luxury fashion industry, this step would be risky for their relationship with buyers and create confusion and perhaps even disconnection from their fans. However, Burberry’s digital mastery, through Christopher Bailey’s leading hand, has secured them as the figurehead for new endeavours online when connecting to fans.

As an opposing strategy, Tom Ford‘s S/S 2011 was showcased to a selected few buyers and press representatives, however with a defined sanction to all that no pictures are to be published untill the closed actually go on sale. This creates unmistakeable curiosity and demand from customers, fans and general fashion-interested public, who will have to hold their breath an entire six months before discovering if his collection is even worth the wait! However, the lure and magic of Tom Ford’s continued scuccess credits him this liberty to do exactly as he finds fit. Undoubtedly the collection will live up to expectations. However according to one Guardian reporter’s commentary, Tom ‘God’ Ford has off day. Fashion world in denial. Who decides which strategy is the most striking? The customers, the press, the bloggers or the reputation the designer has earned through past endeavours?